1970's

The 1970's was the begining of a new technology change with the advent of commercially availalbe semiconductor devices. Milt Zeutschel, Grant Record and Gordy Nicols founded Data I/O in 1972 and developed the worlds first prgrammer, Data I/O's Model 1. Engineers used Data I/O's early programmers to design and program their products. During the 1970's Data I/O expanded on the Model 1 developing the worlds first:

GANG/SET Programmer (Model IV)

First Processor Based Programmer (System 19)

First GANG Programming Module (GangPAK)

The Evolution of the Model 1 Programmer

Model 1: 1972 - 1975 - First Universal Device Programmer

Designed to program the first three PROMs

Integral paper-tape reader/perforator and binary keyboard

Optional personality cards and read-only cards contained the programming electronics for each different PROM available

Established Data I/O as the world leader for programming. Versatile and easy-to-operate, it used the same personality card sets as the Model 1 to program all available PROMs to semiconductcor manufacturers' specifications

Available in binary, hexadecimal or octal keyboard configurations and featured internal RAM and a paper tape reader

Model VI: 1976-1978 - First Gang/Set PROM Programmer

Model VI was the first Gang/Set programmer and programmed 1 to 8 devices simultaneously

Model IX: 1976-1980

Portable universal programmer with full editing capabilities using a hexadecimal keyboard and display

First remote control option, with process and error controls, error code displays, translation formats, a Ram-Pak interface, using either serial or parallel I/O in many data formats

5 inch CRT display and paper tape reader, as well as logical and array verification

Programmer Satellite: 1976 - 1981 - First Programmer Linkage

The Programmer Satellite allowed a user to program more than one type of device without changing card sets

One Satellite held up to five personality cards

Up to three Satellites could be connected together with one Model V to allow up to 15 switch-selectable device algorithms to be available in a single system

Card Sets: 1971 - 1981 - One Card-Set per Device Type

Data I/O card set consisted of two cards:

Digital card in the back to generate the precise algorithms

Analog card in the front generates the precision currents and voltages required to program the specific device

System 19: 1978 - 1983 - First Microprocessor Based (Motorola 6800) Programming System

System 19 utilized Programming PAKS to program all commercially available PROMs and logic devices at the time. These PAKS provided the exact voltage, current and timing specified by the semiconductor manufacturer